The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for the timing of sporting events. More particularly, but not exclusively, it relates to a timing system under the control of referees, umpires or the like and displayable to a watching crowd.
Accurate timing of field sports and other activities is an essential element of xe2x80x9cfair playxe2x80x9d. A typical sport may involve one or a number of periods of play of predetermined duration. For example, in Association Football, two halves of forty-five mintures each are played. In some games, extra time is needed to decide a result, in which case the periods for each half of extra time are set at a lesser time, such as fifteen minutes. In the event of an injury to a player or other good reason for stopping the game (e.g. time wasting by one team), the referee, which term is herein used to indicate any official having charge of the sporting event, especially one on the field of play, will stop his wrist or pocket stopwatch and restart it when play resumes.
Hence the time played is known only to the referee. The spectators are left, at the end of the normal period of play, which they can determine, with an expectation that the game will continue for an indeterminate, to them, period of time xe2x80x9callowedxe2x80x9d for stoppages. This lack of determination leaves room for many arguments, especially when a score is made during the extended period of play.
The sport may involve the accumulation of scores throughout the playing time of the fixture. Any reduction in time played per period could result in an xe2x80x9cunfairxe2x80x9d final score. Likewise any xe2x80x9coverplayxe2x80x9d could also produce an xe2x80x9cunfairxe2x80x9d final score.
The continuing trend across all sports is the transition from amateur to professional status. This professional status brings with it prospects of revenue based on the relative performance of a sports team or individual. The financial rewards for success can be considerable, likewise the financial penalties for failure. It is essential therefore that the timing of such sports periods shoud be impartial and beyond reproach.
Many sports have either umpires or referees to ensure impartiality with regard to timing. Problems exist, however, where spectators and commentators, whose perception of time may be at fault for emotional reasons, cannot agree on exactly how much time has been played.
Most sports have a true and loyal following of supporters. Any ambiguity in the amount of time played can occasionally lead to dissent and unsavoury behaviour between opposing supporters This may lead to financial penalties being incurred by the professional clubs (i.e. increased policing of events, exclusion from tournaments) and other losses of revenue. With many top clubs functioning as corporate bodies this can directly affect the xe2x80x9cattractivenessxe2x80x9d of the business.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for timing events which permits the umpire""s or referee""s interruption of time played to be made visible and conveyed to the supporters in an unambiguous way, and which allows the umpires or referrees on the field still to control the game absolutely.
According to the present invention there is provided a timing system for a sports game or other timed spectator event, which system comprises:
at least one mobile device having a switch means and a transmitter means responsive to the switch means and adapted to transmit a wireless electromagnetic radiation signal from the field of play;
at least one receiver means located outside of the field of play, but not surrounding the field of play, to receive said signal and emit an actuation signal in response thereto;
a timer associated with the receiver means and adapted alternately to start and stop timing in response to each actuation signal from said at least one receiver means;
and time display means outside the field of play to display the output from the timer, the mobile device having its own timer display means adapted to respond to operation of the switch means to provide a simultaneous timing display on the mobile device.
Preferably the transmitted signal is radiation in the infra red or radio range.
The mobile transmitter device may be a wrist worn or pocket held mobile unit including a transmiter and a switch, preferably under manual control of an official of a timed game being played.
The or each receiver means may be located adjacent or beyond a boundary of the field of play.
The transmitted signal may be simply a start/stop signal.
Alternatively, the transmitted signal may be of such a selected frequency as to cause selective actuation by the received means of a predetermined display in addition to or replacing the timer display.
The frequency of transmission between the controller and the receiver may be so coded as to prevent interference from alternative transmission means.
According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a timing system for a sports game or other timed spectator event, which system comprises:
a mobile device having a switch means and a transmitter means responsive to the switch means and adapted to transmit a wireless electromagnetic radiation signal from the field of play;
at least one receiver means located outside of the field of play, but not surrounding the field of play, to receive said signal and emit an actuation signal in response thereto;
a timer associated with the receiver means and adapted alternately to start and stop timing in response to each actuation signal from said at least one receiver means;
and time display means outside the field of play to display the output from the timer, the transmitter being adapted to selectively transmit a signal of such a selected frequency as to cause selective actuation by the receiver means of a predetermined display in addition to or replacing the timer display.
Preferably the receiver and the time display outside the field of play are mobile.
Preferably the receiver means located outside the field of play can be adapted to accept any time means of display already in use in stadia.
Preferably at least one signal transmits a pseudo-random number from over 16 million possible combinations and changes combination on each actuation of the mobile device switch.
Suitably an additional device is located outside the field of play under control of an official including a receiver adapted to receive signals from the mobile device(s) in the field of play, a switch and a transmitter means responsive thereto and adapted to transmit signals to the said mobile device(s).
Preferably said additional device has a light or buzzer to indicate when a signal has been transmitted or received thereby.
Advantageously a signal block in the timer system allows only one mobile device to control said timer system while the countdown is in stop mode.
Preferably more than one mobile device is used in the field of play and each can transmit and receive signals from one another, stopping and starting the time display in said mobile devices.
Suitably this mobile device(s) is adapted to display messages transmitted from outside the field of play.